


glitter and gold

by pennysparrow



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Don't copy to another site, Gen, Non-Linear Narrative, Song Lyrics, Teen Titans - Freeform, also i love the dc families ok? this is kinda a look at those too, as usual depending on what you consider canon, it's a "the superheroes do their jobs and save the world" type exploration ok?, justice league - Freeform, my own weird love letter to dc comics w/ more minor characters than they seem to remember they own, some others peppered in, there's so many characters and screw it i am not tagging them all, this is mostly pre52
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:09:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29558907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennysparrow/pseuds/pennysparrow
Summary: One day, one global threat, a million different perspectives.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 12





	glitter and gold

**Author's Note:**

> Huge shoutout and thank you to [Carbon65](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carbon65) for being my beta on this BEAST. Any remaining mistakes or awkwardness is my own. 
> 
> Based on the song [Glitter and Gold by Barns Courtney](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GySIToHCPac)

_I am flesh and I am bone_

She hadn’t been expecting the second explosion. None of them had been expecting the second explosion. Luckily, they were all clear of the debris but Steph’s ears were ringing. A gut feeling said her comm had been knocked out but it’s not like she’d be able to tell right now anyway. She swayed, unsteady. But Batgirl had to worry about the people around her, not herself. A cursory glance looked as though the block’s residents had gotten back far enough before the blast hit. Leaving them covered in dust but unharmed.

A fluttering at the corner of her eye had Steph turning. A dark figure crouched at the edge of a still intact roof. Steph squinted through the dim clouds that used to be solid cement to make out Cass. She was signing frantically and it took another couple seconds for Steph to catch the gestures.

“I’m ok,” she tried to say. Her mouth opened and closed, lips and tongue forming the words, but no sound seemed to come out and Cass certainly didn’t seem to have heard her. The other girl’s face was a mask of professionalism behind her actual mask. And while Steph couldn’t read body language, she did speak Cass and knew her friend was still concerned.

“I’m ok!” Steph tried again, desperate to yell past the ringing still in her ears. When Cass didn’t shift, Steph raised her hands up and carefully, clearly signed it.

Finally, Cass’s shoulders slumped as she nodded. Black Bat turned away then, looking for an exit from the apartment island she had become stranded on.

Elsewhere, Tim pulled a child’s arms from around his neck as her mother reached out to take her. He understood how the weightless feeling of a grappling line swing could scare someone. Especially someone who was already plummeting from a balcony that no longer existed. Especially someone so young.

_“Does anyone have eyes on Batgirl and Black Bat. The cameras are down and they’re not responding to comms.”_ Oracle sounded calm, professional but Tim heard the waver that the voice modulator normally hid.

Steph and Cass had been on the other side of the neighborhood from him. Now, the other side of a crater where the neighborhood had been. With the dust still settling there was no telling the dangers that hid in it. The people had all been evacuated, Robin and Nightwing were quick to confirm that Tim’s charge was the last of the residents, but what structures were left — if any — and how steady they were was still a mystery. Despite this, Tim was willing to risk it to make sure Steph and Cass were ok. They had to be ok.

_“I’m with Red Hood doing first aid but we’re not far and can check when we’re done,”_ Duke offered before Tim could commit to something stupid.

_“Don’t.”_ A firm, almost stern voice cut in. _“I’ll go. Red Robin, Nightwing, the League has done what it can and your teams need you. Report to them, we can handle Gotham. You’ve done more than enough.”_

Hearing Bruce was a tangled wash of emotions. The League had done their best and this still happened? But he was back and that meant everything would be alright. Not good, but ok. Because Batman was in Gotham. And Batman had given him an order, and Tim could stop worrying. Stop thinking up a million awful scenarios. Because while Tim’s plans were good, were the best, Bruce had been doing this for a whole lot longer. He was Batman and he’d given Tim an order and all Tim had to do was follow it. Especially since it was to go be with his team, his friends, his Titans.

Wait. What? What was wrong? Why did the Titans need him? Dick’s too? What?

The reassurance that Tim had felt ebbed as panic set back in. He turned from the rubble, towards the nearest zeta and his friends.

~

_I've got fire in my soul_

In Star City there was chaos. Unlike Gotham, no buildings had been destroyed and the material effects of the battle had not been felt. That didn’t mean the citizens hadn’t panicked. They had. They had panicked _hard_. Thankfully Ollie had reported to the League, laughed at them for thinking he’d be any use, and come home. Roy stayed with his Titans though. So, they were down two when Dinah stayed and then went to help the Birds in Gotham.

Mia realized the thoughts sounded bitter but she didn’t _feel_ bitter. She felt annoyed at the dumbass who she pinned to a brick wall after catching him looting a local video game store, because he’d promptly started screaming at her that the world was ending and she should repent for her actions. First off buddy boy, Mia hadn’t been the one trying to steal ten copies of Grand Theft Auto. Secondly, the world was _always_ coming to an end and they _always_ managed to stop it. Thirdly, Mia had come to terms with her actions a long time ago and she had nothing to regret or repent for, thank you very much.

_“Hey Speedy, I could use a hand. Or a fist. Not picky,”_ Connor’s voice was in her ear as she stuck her note to the dumbass’s forehead.

“Wow Two-y, was that a joke?” She teased, jumping up to pull the fire escape down and climb towards the skyline.

_“I really don’t like that one,”_ was his only response.

Mia paused on the roof, pulling her phone from her belt and swiping to the tracker app since Connor neglected to mention where he needed the hand.

_“Aw, what’s wrong with that one?”_ there was chanting in the background. Ollie was either protecting the protest that’d broken out or had actively joined it. Mia was fairly certain the answer was both. The protestors had a point, it was the cops, opportunists, and bigots that they’d been trying to corral after all. Though the three groups were kind of one in the same.

Mia wrinkled her nose as Connor’s GPS pinged him halfway across the city. Luckily her bike was nearby. Unluckily those who truly thought they were all going to die in a fiery inferno — Star hadn’t even received a glancing hit so frankly they were overreacting, especially considering they’d all survived much much worse — had clogged up the streets beyond hope. Thankfully, the name Speedy referred both to her draw and driving as Mia weaved back and forth between the parked cars.

_“It’s the plant in that musical about killer plants,”_ Connor said dryly.

“But you’re Green Arrow 2!” Mia tried to convince, getting closer to her big brother by the second.

_“And any variations of that will suffice. Except Two-y.”_

Mia booed him in person, shedding her helmet and grabbing her bow as she found Connor surrounded by some very irate seeming senior citizens.

“Please! The mayor has declared a state of emergency and I must ask you to return to your homes!” he yelled from the top of the steps to the fire hall.

“But it’s bingo day! No aliens going to keep me from my winning streak!” the woman nearest him yelled back.

Mia folded her lips in, desperately holding back a smile. She took a step towards the crowd as an arrow sprung into being between Connor’s feet and the woman’s.

Despite the fact that the angle was all kinds of wrong, Mia and Connor shared a look as though the other had fired it. Then they looked at the arrow again and didn’t recognize the deep red fletchings. It could be one of Roy’s but he wasn’t here and there was white, not orange, with the red. Some quick math had Mia glancing up at the rooftop across the street as the crowd backed up, some thankfully dispersing.

“Uh Speedy?” Connor asked, having come to the same conclusion as her. “You don’t have a twin, do you?”

Mia did not and she shook her head to inform him of such. Though her eyes never moved from the blonde girl in red leather and matching mask, bow at her side. She lifted it, firing another arrow. This one with a line attached. Using her bow, she slid down the line to drop beside Connor.

“Hi,” the girl said, entirely too nonchalant. “I’m Arrowette. I’m a friend of Rob- Red Robin. My reserve status was pinged.”

“I know you!” Mia said happily, matching the girl to the pictures of Young Justice that hung in Titans Tower and stories of a friend named Cissie that Bart, Cassie, Kon, and, of course, Tim told.

“Yeah, you’re my replacement I hear,” she teased. It lacked malice though Mia respected the mischief dancing in Arrowette’s eyes.

Her appearance at Connor’s side had convinced the rest of the senior citizens to head home and Mia was finally able to walk up to them. “Well not really, I don’t do full time. Hence,” Mia gestured to the city around them and her place in it. “But why’re you in Star?”

“I swore off space,” she said seriously. “And other assorted weirdness. So, my options were here or Gotham and Gotham’s...”

“Gotham,” Mia and Connor said, understanding clear in their tone.

_“Hey kids,”_ Ollie came through their comms, causing the two to pause, _“I could use some help here. If you’re free.”_

“Be right there,” Mia informed him brightly. “And we’re bringing a friend!” She grinned at Arrowette as the other girl smiled back. “Two-y, she’s riding with you.”

~

_Like glitter and gold_

The Watchtower had an almost eerie hush as the Justice League met to discuss the looming threat not far from their own satellite. A fleet that large normally warranted suspicion. Hal Jordan saying that the Green Lanterns had noted the world they hailed from as an aggressive power only further worried the heroes gathered around the table. When Superman and Wonder Woman heralded them only to receive an ultimatum it cinched the fleet of ships as a threat. The League was to either hand over a particular young girl, a resident of Gotham City, or they would destroy the Earth. Diana knew without having to look at Bruce that he would never hand over one under his protection. None of them would expect him to either.

And so, plans were put into motion. Decisions were made. Allies informed. Diana strapped additional armor on as she eyed the floating ships. She had defeated gods and men, had lived longer than some civilizations, and had protected the planet that was her home from invaders many times before. Today would not be the first she was challenged and it would not be the last. It would not be the day she failed either. They were prepared, they worked well together, they had allies and assistance they could trust in, and they would succeed. Princess Diana of Themyscira was sure of this. Even as the fleet fired on Gotham City.

~

_Do you walk in the valley of kings?_

Billy felt his stomach swoop as he watched his sister fall. A shot from the spaceship above him had hit her square on the shoulder and as much as Billy wanted to make sure Mary was ok he knew he had to make sure that no one else was hit by the energy cannon.

_“Marvel,”_ a gruff voice came over the radio in his ear. Billy hated the comms device because he only ever had to wear it when something really bad was going on. _“Captain Marvel this is Hawkman, we caught your sister. She’s safe.”_

Billy wasn’t a big fan of the other hero but he was insanely grateful to hear him say that. “Oh gosh. Thanks! Really. Thanks.” He dodged another blast and piled on the Speed of Mercury as he flew towards the ship, taking out the energy canon.

Kendra watched as Captain Marvel tore the gun from the ship. Wires sparking as he flew off with it. Carter charged up after him to subdue the attackers within the ship and hopefully ground it without crashing like he’d done to the last one. Kendra cradled the girl in her arms, only a few years younger than herself, and decided that being a warrior meant also protecting your comrades. She changed directions, flying back to Earth and the small city they were over. Kendra didn’t know which city, they’d been over southern Mexico when they met up with the Marvels but had flown further south in the course of disarming the alien crafts, but the residents recognized her as she descended. Chants of “Hawkgirl!” becoming almost overwhelming as she landed on the street.

“Please,” Kendra protested, “it’s not safe to be out.

“Mary Marvel!” A little boy said, running up to Kendra and the hero he named in her arms. “She is hurt!”

“Yes,” Kendra said before she could stop herself, carefully shifting Mary’s limp form.

“Come. Mama will help,” the boy said confidently. Kendra followed, the crowd parting to let her and the boy through. He led them to a small house where a young woman opened the door in awe. Careful to tuck her wings in, Kendra thanked the woman as she welcomed them.

Mary laid on the small couch, groaning now from the pain in her shoulder. The woman disappeared into the kitchen, returning with two glasses of water and a small first aide kit tucked under her arm. The first glass she handed to Kendra, the second she gave her son and instructed him to hold on Mary’s behalf. Then she began to tend to Mary’s injured shoulder.

This caused the girl to wake. Blearily she stared around the space, eyes widening at the woman and her son who was insistently giving her the glass of water, before landing on Kendra.

“Hawkgirl?” she asked hoarsely. “Where am I?”

“You got hit. I thought it would be best to get you help and these kind people offered it,” Kendra said flatly. It was the truth. No need to confess her distaste at Carter’s relish for the violence. Or her own.

“Oh. Ow.” Mary frowned as she tried to sit up. The woman chided her in Spanish, making Kendra grin. “No, I’m fine. It’s fine,” she tried to insist. “I just need to get outside. The lightning will heal me.”

Kendra raised an eyebrow as Mary managed to brush off the woman’s firm look and rise to her feet. She moved unsteadily towards the door and Kendra rushed to catch her as Mary wobbled outside.

In the street, it was empty and quiet again. The people of the city taking cover once more as gods struggled in their skies. Mary stood in the middle, far away from the buildings and cars. Drawing herself up to her full height she raised her chin to the clouds. Kendra stepped back as magic raised the hairs on her neck. “SHAZAM!” Mary called into the sky, into the lightning that struck her. The flash left spots on Kendra’s eyes but she could see a girl, a plain girl in jeans and a sweater, where the great Mary Marvel had previously stood. Again, she yelled “SHAZAM!” and again the lightning hit her and Kendra felt the buzz of magic. Now Mary Marvel was back in her prim skirt, injured shoulder good as new. She beamed at Kendra and the family who tried to help and were now peering out their door in awe.

“Thank you so much for the drink,” Mary said earnestly, passing back the empty glass that Kendra couldn’t remember her taking in the first place. She returned hers as well and the woman and son just nodded in awe. “C’mon,” Mary turned back to Kendra, floating a few inches off the ground now, “someone needs to keep those boys out of trouble.”

Her smile was infectious and Kendra nodded as she rose into the air too. They had work to do.

~

_Do you walk in the shadow of men who sold their lives to a dream?_

Maxine shifted in her seat. It wasn’t often that they got the emergency call and even rarer that the JSA was to report to the Brownstone first for a briefing. Karen, Michael, and Sand all stood with their heads bowed together which meant that it must be serious. Powergirl was the current chairman and wasn’t always fond of asking the two former for help which is exactly what seemed to be happening.

“Hey kid,” Ted said as he settled in the chair next to Maxine.

“Hiya, Mr. Grant.”

He wrinkled his nose and made a hard consonant sound. “How many times do I have to tell ya to cut the mister, kid?”

“Since when do you complain about manners and respect?” Jakeem asked, leaning over Maxine from her other side. She grinned at his smirk. “Cause you’ve been on me about it since we met.”

“And you still don’t seem to understand,” Ted sat back and crossed his arms as though he’d just played a winning hand.

Maxine felt like she was missing something. She glanced to Jakeem and he shrugged, whatever it was he didn’t know either.

“Leave them alone, Ted,” Alan said, coming up behind them. “And you’re in my chair,” he added dryly.

Ted grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like “Just make your own damn chair” and Alan did. Though he was rather smug about it.

“Do you know what this is about?” Maxine asked hesitantly. She fisted her hand in her skirt and then unwrapped it to repeat the motion on her other hand. Glancing around she saw Courtney and her stepdad sneaking in the door and settling next to Pieter. It looked like everyone was here then. Karen noticed it too because she nodded and turned to the room at large before Maxine got an answer.

“Ok all,” Karen said, causing the packed room to fall silent, “the League has called in an Omega Level threat. We will be providing ground support with the Teen Titans. Mr. Terrific, Sand, and I have broken you up into smaller squads to be dispatched around the globe. So, listen for your name and location.”

Frankie had managed to get in as Karen began calling out names, hopping up onto the back of her chair before settling in Maxine’s lap. She pet the small monkey as he played with her hair, helping to soothe her nerves.

“And Cyclone,” Karen said, putting Maxine in Squad C, “You’re to head to Berlin.”

Nodding, Maxine scooped Frankie up and followed Al and Jay to the zeta tube.

~

_Do you ponder the manner of things?_

John didn’t do big, flashy battles. And he _certainly_ didn’t do alien invasions. Truly, he had enough on his hands keeping his own ass out of the fire, he didn’t need to go around pulling others’ out too. He did anyway but those were an exchange of goods and services, not the altruism of the cape club. Except, you didn’t ignore a summons from the daughter of Trigon. You certainly didn’t ignore a _personal_ summons. And history showed you really couldn’t even if you wanted to. So, John cursed whoever he could think of — he really hadn’t done anything deserving of this lately — then packed his bags, leaving space for a box or two of Silk Cuts from duty free, and headed to Heathrow.

He got on the next flight to JFK which just happened to have a seat left and took off in a half hour. His luck held as his flight was mercilessly free of crying babies and the food was actually decent. In New York he again snagged the last seat on a flight to DC leaving in ten minutes. When he landed a handful of hours later he was jet lagged but his spirits no worse than when he began the journey. Mumbling “wanker” at the airport’s name helped.

John was debating whether it would be better to grab a cab and sit in DC traffic or try and figure out the city’s Metro when a voice called out “You John Constantine?”

Wincing at the pronunciation, he turned to see a man standing at attention next to a nondescript black sedan. “More or less,” John shot him a slick smile. “Can I help ya, squire?”

“A Z. Zatara hired me to pick you up and take you to the Hall of Justice,” he said quickly, all long flat a’s as an American Southern accent snuck out.

John grinned, taking a moment to fish out a cigarette as he appreciated his luck. Either his synchronicity had just kicked into overdrive or Zatanna was feeling kind, regardless John wasn’t about to question it. He passed the man his bag and slid into the backseat.

The Mall was eerie this late at night, all stark white monuments, small pools of lamplight, and darkness everywhere else. He didn’t settle until they were pulling up next to the Hall. John climbed out with a “Cheers, mate” and grabbed his bag. A shadow leant against the wall, just out of range from the floodlights. It straightened and detached itself as he stepped over the curb.

“I expected you sooner,” Zee said when she stepped towards him. Her black raincoat and tall black boots partnered with her dark hair to turn her into a Batman mini-me.

“You’ve been spending too much time with Brucie-boy, love,” John drawled, knowing his smirk would spark as he lit his cigarette.

Zatanna rolled her eyes but allowed herself to be tugged into his side. “You smell like stale smoke.”

“Give me a tick and I’ll smell like fresh smoke.”

She pushed away from him but it was at least with a fond smile. “I’m kinda surprised you showed up,” she admitted, turning back towards the building.

John followed, he hadn’t really had much choice in this whole matter, why start now? “Life’s full of surprises.”

“And so, apparently, are you,” she smirked over her shoulder.

“I’ve gotta admit,” John said as she led him towards a side door, “I’m surprised you people are letting me in your little clubhouse.”

“Well, I seriously considered not,” Zee said, and she certainly was serious, despite the fact she held the door open for him. “But Raven supersedes all.”

“Well ta.” John flashed her his most charming grin. It earned him another eye roll.

The hallway they walked down was dark and narrow. Far narrower than he was expecting. It almost felt like a crypt, which John found oddly fitting. And morbidly reassuring.

“You’re not the first one to get here, sorry to burst any bubbles,” Zee called over her shoulder.

“Aw, I’m crushed, love.”

Her scoff echoed faintly.

“Who beat me?” John was genuinely curious.

“Hector. Rose. Xanadu.”

It was John’s scoff that echoed this time.

“And Bobo.”

Well that made him smile. Bobo could drink two times _John’s_ body weight and he was a chimp. An actual chimp.

The hallway ended abruptly in a door that spilled soft golden light. John wrinkled his nose when he saw Hector standing in front of a low table, the Helm of Fate thankfully resting on it. Rose caught sight of him from across what seemed to be a library but said nothing, eyeing him warily as he edged in behind Zee. He shrunk into the shadows at the corners of the room. He never denied being a hypocrite, especially when Zatanna’s gaze accused him of exactly that. There were others in the room too, people he was vaguely aware of like the girl who tended the bar at Oblivion and Zee’s cousin.

When there was a lull, John decided to really lean into his reputation. “How’s Tim?” he called out to Rose, jutting his chin up and exhaling a small cloud of smoke.

Roughly half the room startled. The other half glared. John was just enough of a shit to preen.

“He’s progressing nicely, no thanks to you,” she replied curtly.

John gave his laziest shrug as a dark bird descended from the ceiling.

Over the years he had been called a lot of things, most of them true, but the one he happened to genuinely agree with was that he was a humanist. That and a bastard. Which turned out to be exactly what was needed.

He found himself back in London, still jet lagged from heading to DC in the first place since Raven teleported both he and Rose. He grumbled that she couldn’t have just done that in the first place and Rose gave a long-suffering sigh.

The two of them crisscrossed the city; drawing ruins, marking walls and sidewalks and cobbles in chalk. He stood outside a shuttered bookstore in SoHo, the wind blowing his coat out to the side. Despite the mid-morning hour, the city was so empty that even John found it unsettling.

He checked his watch, waiting for the second hand to come all the way around. It hit the top again and John began chanting. On the other side of London, Dr. Occult did the same. The magic built and wove, drawing from the city itself and the forces they invoked as the protection rose. John flicked his wrists, his hands becoming engulfed in flames as more and more power channeled through him. It’d been a long time since he’d done something like this, something so significant and proper. Even if they had layered on so many different odds and ends to come up with the spell. It was still a whole heck of a lot more serious than his normal jobs.

But it worked. Somehow, it worked.

Frankly, John was dumbfounded. Staring up at the sky as the first of the ships descended on his city. Only to disintegrate on impact with some invisible shield thousands of feet up. When he’d released the power, his hands had returned to normal, forcing him to dig out his lighter to dip his cigarette to. With it hanging from his lip and smoke curling into the air he tilted his head back, watching the ships fall with a self-satisfied smile.

~

_In the dark, the dark, the dark_

The Shade had received a phone call from his old enemy, current friend. It warned him of a threat lurking just outside the atmosphere. That Shade would do well to be prepared to protect his beloved Opal.

He most certainly would.

First, The Shade paid a small shop in the Alleys a visit. Charity agreed with him, it would work. It was risky but it would work and fair Opal would be protected. And so, incidentally, would the people in it.

Next, he went to Hope. She called her brothers and with the O’Dare’s blessing The Shade went to work.

For the second time, Opal City became encased in a sphere of living shadow. Blackening out the sky and the view of Turk County. But this time it truly was Shade in control. Keeping the city safe as her heroes helped elsewhere.

Jason Blood watched the man in the trench coat pause on the sidewalk, looking out towards Alexandria with narrowed eyes as he lit a cigarette. His blonde hair glinted in the airport’s fluorescents when he climbed into the town car. Jason turned away, he had been played enough times by John Constantine and wasn’t seeking to do it again. At least not today. What the others may have thought of as a summons Jason saw as a plea. One he was inclined to respond to but not obligated.

As much as Jason would like to help, the demon was too much of a risk. Constantine and the demon were too much of a risk. So, he turned to head back into the airport. He couldn’t get out of the country from here, but at least he could get out of Washington.

This thought was folly.

A cloaked figure with a fedora tipped low stood before him. “Blood,” the man said evenly.

“Phantom Stranger,” Jason found himself greeting.

“We have work to do.” The Phantom Stranger extended his cloak and reluctantly Jason walked with him into it.

Jim Corrigan had been bound to The Spectre for a long time, then he wasn’t and Hal Jordan had shouldered the burden as his penance. Then the universe gave Jordan a second chance and Jim agreed to take the weight of the spirit of vengeance once more.

In all his time on earth and after, Jim had seen a lot of things and it allowed him to recognize what was happening now. But The Spectre wasn’t needed just yet. The Spectre would watch, would wait, and would pass judgement.

~

_I am flesh and I am bone_

Atlantis’s magic would hold. The water and sky stretching between it and the fleet amassing in the stars would be ample protection. Its citizens knew this. Its heroes too. So, they went to the surface to help those who weren’t as lucky. Arthur to the League. Garth and Lorena their Titans. Some. Not all. Jackson hung behind, waiting with Dolphin and Mera. Their Queen.

Mera had wanted to go with Arthur, to help their friends and protect those less fortunate. But with the King gone, the weight of the crown fell to her and Mera had a duty to her people. Jackson and Dolphin vowed to assist her with that.

Her magic gave them glimpses of the battles waging on the surface and beyond. The destruction and chaos.

It was madness above and maddening to Mera in the depths below. She wanted to help. Every instinct in her was screaming to join her husband and protect him, her magic greater and training more finely tuned. She could see Jackson twitching with the same desire. Dolphin noticed too.

“Go,” she said. “I will cover for you.” Atlantis had adopted the young woman who had in turn adopted it.

Mera tried to protest, to thank her but decline the offer. She found she could not.

Jackson had no such reservations. “I’m going to find my mom,” he said as he turned to swim out of the palace.

Dolphin leveled a soft look at her queen, “I know Garth will be fine and that Atlantis will too. But I also know you need to ensure that more than Atlantis survives. I understand and respect that. I will watch over Atlantis, no one needs to know, you watch over the world.”

Mera grinned at the younger woman, catching her up in a crushing hug before following her heart and swimming towards the stars.

~

_I've got fire in my soul_

Kara flew high, where it was cold and the air thin and no human would be able to breathe, taking the ship with her. She spun, swinging the ship like a discus toss and threw it back towards the galaxies it came from. “Don’t mess with Metropolis!” she yelled at the hunk of metal.

_“Did you... did you just say what I think you said?”_ Lois sounded delighted on the little comm device in Kara’s ear. She’d only agreed to let Jon help if she got a comm too.

Heading back towards the city, Kara winced. “Yes?”

_“Excellent. I knew I liked you, kid!”_ Lois was _definitely_ delighted. That woman was an enigma.

_“Lois? Honey? Aren’t you supposed to be doing something?”_ That was Clark, always trying to protect his older-younger cousin. It was kind of sweet, or would be if they weren’t actively in the middle of an alien invasion. Ok, well not an invasion. Attack. And they were also technically aliens. Well not Lois, obviously, and Jon and Conner were questionable but like the point stood.

_“Aren’t you?”_ Lois fired back.

There was a very sheepish sounding silence before Kal said, _“Touché.”_

_“Uh, if the sitcom is over, I could use a hand,”_ Steel teased. Kara liked Natasha, she was funny and kind and had made it her personal mission to ensure Kara “got out more” which she wasn’t going to argue.

“On my way!” Kara said brightly, letting her own speed combine with gravity to send her shooting back towards the city.

Steel hovered above a water tower; her huge hammer lifted as she stared down another ship. “I repeat, you have ten seconds now to leave or else I open a can of whoop-ass.”

“I didn’t know that came in a can,” Kara joked lightly, slowing to float beside her.

“Uh, this is me. Everything comes wrapped in metal.” She might have grinned but it was hard to tell.

_“Oh that one was good. You get points for that,”_ Lois chimed in. It sounded like she was doing damage to her keyboard which was actually a good sign.

_“Yeah, I’m gonna remember that,”_ Kon agreed. It was good to hear from him since until that point the Teen Titans has been relatively radio silent.

“Thank you!” There was no doubt Natasha was grinning now. “Well, Supergirl, they were warned.” She hefted her hammer.

“Batter up?” Kara asked, flying up and over the ship before grabbing it and throwing it towards Steel. The other girl swung her hammer, hitting the ship and sending it up, up, and away until it was going, going, gone.

_“And it’s outta here!”_ Jon giggled as the two girls cheered.

~

_Like glitter and gold_

Donna could feel it. She didn’t know how exactly, it was just another on a long list of mysteries that made up her life, but she could feel it. Her sisters, the Amazons, she could feel them as they fought.

She blocked an energy beam fired at her friends with a raised shield and felt somewhere in the stars above her sister Diana do the same.

She struck out with her lasso, wrapping it around one of the cannons and yanking the weapon away and felt somewhere on the other side of the world her sister Cassie do the same.

She parried an attack with her sword and felt somewhere much closer than she expected her mother Hippolyta do the same.

She dodged an attack and countered just as quickly and felt somewhere much farther than she expected her sister Nubia do the same.

She gritted her teeth and yelled, protecting her friends, her family, from a dirty trick when their backs were turned and felt her sister Artemis do the same.

All around the world, the Amazons had risen and Donna felt it. She reveled in it and mourned as their power and their injuries pounded a steady beat in a far corner of her mind.

Donna Troy fought alongside her sisters even as miles and miles separated them.

~

_Do you walk in the meadow of spring?_

The Green was crying out. So many places at once. From a small tree on a street in Gotham to a large swath of forest in Germany. A field of flowers in Central America and a field of corn in Smallville. The Green cried and the Swamp Thing heard it.

~

_Do you talk to the animals?_

Garfield hated this part. The waiting part. There were very few injuries, and even less were serious, but it was always hard when it was one of his friends.

“You know she’s gonna be ok, Salad Head,” Vic came up behind him, startling Gar so much he actually shifted from human to mouse. Dropping five feet in the process. He managed to shift to a sparrow and back to human before hitting the ground, but still.

“How does a bucket of bolts like you manage to sneak up on me?” Gar joked, sticking his hands in the pockets of his jeans and stretching his smile wide.

Vic raised his eyebrow. “Lots of practice.”

Rolling his eyes, Gar huffed and turned back to pacing.

“Bette’s tough and she knew what she was getting herself into. She’s done this loads before, BB. Besides, it’s just a fracture,” Vic sighed but tugged him into a side hug.

Faster than thought, Gar turned into a python and wrapped around Vic’s arm. “I just feel guilty. I _was_ the one who convinced her to help.”

Vic tried to push him off but, python. “And she kept her reserve status active. Besides, if you hadn’t asked her to help her cousin or sister or whatever Batwoman is would’ve.”

Sliding towards the ground, Gar turned back into himself. Well, he’s never not himself when he’s another animal but still. He was back to five foot four, a hundred and twenty-ish pounds of lean mean green superheroing machine. “I guess so.” He wasn’t convinced though.

“Look, dude, just apologize and be the first to sign her cast. She’ll tell you the exact same things I am.”

“You sure?”

Vic nodded seriously.

“Ok,” Gar relaxed. “Thanks, man.”

“You wanna curl up like a kitten and sleep? I’ll cover for you.”

“Yeah,” he brightened and did just that.

Mari tried not to use her totem for her own gain, but after a day like that she couldn’t help but channel the spirit of a housecat and stretch. Her spine crackled as she raised her arms up over her head. Shifting from side to side in an awkward wiggle as she padded towards her room on the Watchtower. She was too tired to even teleport home.

“That sounded nice,” Buddy laughed, leaning against the counters of one of the many kitchenettes stashed around the base and stocked with tea, coffee, and snacks.

“Oh, it felt better,” Mari agreed.

“Leopard?” he asked curiously, blowing on a mug of what smelt like hot chocolate. Warm, thick hot chocolate sounded nice all of a sudden.

“Housecat, actually.” She changed course from heading to her room to join Buddy in the kitchenette. “I’m honestly surprised to see you still here,” Mari admitted.

Buddy chuckled, “I am too, to be honest.”

“Glad you came,” she said, continuing her honesty. The League had to call in everyone on the reserve list in the end. No one had expected it to get that bad. Well, the magic-users had been concerningly well prepared in her opinion, but still. When Buddy had appeared at her side helping with the evacuations in Cairo, Mari had been thrilled to see her friend.

“I’ll admit, I was a little selfish and took care of San Diego first. One of Arthur’s kids showed up to help though and he seemed more than capable so I finally picked up the comm.” Buddy smirked a little sheepishly over the top of his mug.

Mari pulled a mug for herself down out of the cabinet to his left. “That just mix?”

“Yeah. And ethically sourced too.”

She made a surprised sound though she was not the least bit surprised about it. “So, you letting yourself have a little breather before heading home? Since you don’t have to worry about the wife and kids.”

Chuckling, Buddy took another sip of his cocoa. “I haven’t really been in the field much recently. Forgot how long it takes to come down from the adrenaline.”

Stirring the chocolate into the hot water, Mari was beginning to feel the exhaustion hit her again. “You kinda sound like my dad. He says that I’m an adrenaline junkie and that’s why I went into fashion and superheroics. The two riskiest jobs in the world.” Mari smirked as Buddy shook his head. “Unfortunately, I’m doing quite well in both. I’m starting to get bored. Might pick up skydiving. Without the totem.”

“My dad senses are tingling. You keep talking like that and _I’ll_ get greys.”

Mari almost snorted on her drink. She elbowed him in the side. Buddy smirked. She yawned. He did too, taking on the powers of a snake and nearly unhinging his jaw in the process.

“Buddy!” Mari nearly spilt her hot chocolate but he just laughed and waved, heading towards the zeta tube and home.

~

_Do you hold their lives by a string?_

Rita rolled her eyes. She could just hear the boys already, complaining and yelling and arguing.

“No, Chief! It’s not happening. Nope, nope nope nope nope, no!” Cliff roared.

“It really is a dumb plan. I mean, we’re all mostly retired and anyway, do you remember what happened last time?” Larry pointed out.

“Yes, but it _is_ an Omega Level threat,” Niles said evenly.

“How long do you think this’ll last?” Dorothy asked, coming up beside her.

“Oh, who knows. However, I am working on a way to swiftly bring it to its inevitable conclusion.” Rita hit the screen of her phone with a perfectly filed, red lacquered nail and waited. Soon, the device gave a soft ding as a message came in. “Ah, Garfield, you wonderful boy,” she smiled.

Marching into the dining room, Dorothy on her heels – which happened to be sensible pumps today – Rita nudged Jane who’d sprawled out on the table. She whined but sat up, patting the space beside her for Dorothy to hop up.

“It is settled,” Rita informed them, holding up her phone, “we are going. Garfield has confirmed there is need of us and we shall not disappoint.”

After that declaration there was silence. It lasted only a few seconds before Rita found herself standing, unfazed, in the center of a storm. The others all scrambling to get ready.

~

_Do you ponder the manner of things?_

Kyle dragged his hands down his face, pulling down his cheeks and lower lids. “Y’know,” he whined, “when I said I missed home I’d hoped it would be enough of a hint to be _sent_ home. Not be stuck with _you_.”

Guy laughed, slinging back yet another drink. They’d been sitting at the bar out in the Vega System for what felt like ages now. Meaning he was officially either too drunk or not drunk enough. John snickered as Kyle groaned some more.

“Just ignore him, it works eventually,” John said sagely. And sarcastically.

Rolling his head to the side, Kyle shot him a dark look.

He was trying to decide if he should sober up or get drunker when his ring flashed. But not just Kyle’s, John and Guy’s flashed too. Looks like sober up it was.

“Well kid,” Guy drawled, reading the hologram alert while simultaneously flagging down the bartender, “looks like you’re getting your wish after all.”

Thankfully they had a long flight back. Unfortunately, it would be with Guy. Honestly, Kyle was thrilled to have John along because otherwise he’d have pushed the man into a black hole. Before this he’d never known how John managed it. Apparently, it was with a lot of dry remarks and eyerolls. Kyle could do that.

“This is not good. This is, like, the _definition_ of not good,” Jessica gestured at the fleet. When Hal had asked them to help with recon he hadn’t said exactly how _many_ spaceships were essentially on earth’s doorstep. Just loitering there. Like unwanted guests. Or vampires. Like Colin Farrell in that movie she’d only watched because her sister had promised it was way funnier than it made itself out to be. Which had held true thanks to David Tennant.

“Jess,” Simon sighed though he didn’t otherwise seem exasperated with her. He was smiling after all. “We’ve got this Jess. And the others are on their way back.”

She nodded. Right. It was true. Simon was right. Just, Jessica needed a minute. To process. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and let herself revel in the weightless feeling that came from hanging out in space. She was starting to get used to it but it would never stop being cool. And that was rad, Jessica was getting used to space! She was a Green Lantern after all! And she was good at it. And Simon was right next to her, Hal went to meet with the League but would be back soon, and Kyle, John, and Guy were all on their way. They got this. Jessica had this.

“Ok,” she said, opening her eyes with a determined expression. “We’ve got this.”

“That’s my girl,” Simon grinned and held his palm out for her to give him a high five.

Picking at the comm in her ear, Jade tried to get it to lay better. Anissa had shown up pounding on her apartment door in the wee hours of the morning, informed her that she’d heard shit was about to hit the fan and figured Jennie would want to at least have some color commentary. To which she’d asked Anissa if that meant Grace was back to playing hero. The other girl hadn’t been able to say anything since, laughing as she handed over the comm and left.

In the in between hours of receiving the comm and Jade’s current flight into orbit she’d received about six calls from her dad, all asking her to be careful and go where she felt she was needed while also updating her about himself and Todd. Then there were the texts _from_ Todd that pretty much boiled down to the same thing. She’d also gotten texts from Roy saying the Titans could use her if she was interested and even one from Donna Troy. But there was only one that really mattered. Not because she was still carrying a torch or anything, god no, but because it meant that she really _was_ needed.

Kyle Rayner, frickin Kyle who was in space right now and frankly more often than not in general anymore, had texted her that Sector 2814’s Green Lanterns were currently meeting in earth’s orbit and they’d really appreciate it if Jade could join them. She didn’t wonder how he got service all the way up there, it was probably the ring’s doing anyway, just got dressed and went. Remembering the comm on the way out the window.

“Hey, Thunder?” she tried experimentally as she headed towards the upper atmosphere.

_“What’s up?”_

“I got tapped to play with the big boys,” she smirked. She’d told Todd too before she lost cell service, Jade’s powers didn’t come from a ring after all, and he’d been thrilled for her.

_“I thought you were in the League there for a hot sec? When Nightwing was running around in the bat-suit and he was running the JLA like it was Charlie’s Angels.”_ Anissa’s laughter was very poorly muffled. Grace in the background didn’t even attempt.

“But this is a very different club. The Lanterns.” Jade grinned, seeing the distinct green glow of the group ahead of her.

_“Well damn. You go! I’m thrilled for you. Just be careful.”_

“You too. We’ll get drinks if the world is still standing and I’ll tell you all about it.”

~

_In the dark, the dark, the dark_

Grounding yet another of the ships, Princess Koriand’r of Tamaran had to admit that she always had mixed emotions when fighting in battles like this. Taking down ships hailing from far flung galaxies was always a weight. For one, she knew – probably better than anyone – how truly awful and power hungry some of the peoples who populated the stars were. For another, she remembered the fear and anger and countless other emotions that roiled within her when she came here.

Which is why Starfire would not hesitate when it came to protecting this planet. This was a planet of contradictions and daily she and her friends, her _family_ fought to end that. To bring justice and peace. Like today, when she fought to protect it. Because it was her adoptive home. It may not have welcomed her with open arms and Tamaran would always, _always_ , be her home but she had adopted it and by now she was positive that in return it had adopted her. And it was home. Home was where family was and she had quite a bit of it on Earth.

So, she allowed her hands to heat, the energy of her starbolts building there. Another ship was descending from the sky, seeming to not have noticed or not have cared that she had just single handedly taken out their comrades. She would do the same to them.

The Martian Manhunter slid easily onto the command deck of the lead ship. The occupants did not notice his arrival or continued presence in their midst. He tried not to intrude on the minds of those he did not have consent from, even if they were actively hostile. But they had wanted a girl, regardless of why they would not get her, for those codes were even stricter and held by so very many. They wanted her, and he would at least discover why.

M’gann squeaked as she phased out of sight. Aliens were hard. _She_ was an alien. And a White Martian to boot. There was always going to be the chance, the _fear_ , that her nature would overtake her and that she would turn on her friends. Or worse, their opinion would change and they would turn on her. Times like this heightened those thoughts.

Except she had work to do. Miss Martian was a valued member of the Teen Titans and if she wanted to stay that way then she needed to get moving. She hadn’t _meant_ to phase out but being invisible and intangible had its advantages.

For instance, that she could easily slip right into the ship bearing down on them that had somehow slipped past the rest of the world’s heroes and cut its power off at the source. Gravity took control and she barely had the time to get out a quick _‘MOVE!’_ on the mental link before she was passing through the metal again as it fell.

_‘Way to go Miss M!’_ Cassie whooped in her mind. Her other teammates cheered too. And then there was Red Robin’s more sedate, but still pleased _‘Well done.’_

Hmm, no, her friends would not turn on her. Nor she they. That just would not be. M’gann was not like the aliens on the ship. No, she was like the aliens on the ground, her friends.

~

_I am flesh and I am bone_

San Francisco hadn’t exactly closed down, but its residents had begun to prepare for the worse. The good thing about the Bay Area was that it called the Teen Titans its heroes and protectors. The bad thing about the Bay Area was that the Teen Titans attracted a whole lot of shit. Granted, it was shit Jack Knight current art studio owner, retired superhero, and forever son of the first Starman was semi-uniquely prepared to deal with. (He’d never admit to Sadie or well _anyone_ that he was _prepared_ for this sort of thing because then there’d be _conversations_. Besides that, he definitely wasn’t the only retired, semi-retired, or some other modifier superhero or child of a superhero in the world. Jack really had never been one to think himself special.)

When the news bulletin had interrupted the oldies station floating out of the antique upright radio in the corner of the shop to announce a fleet of potentially hostile spaceships was hovering just outside earth’s orbit and the Justice League had assured everyone that they were taking steps to ensure the planet’s safety but had asked that all who could take the time to return to their homes and shelter there until further notice – something the City of San Francisco added that they insisted – Jack had locked up and gone to look for his plywood. Those big picture windows had lasted earthquakes and supervillain attacks and they sure as hell were going to last an alien invasion. So long as he boarded them up first.

Ted helped. Though the toddler’s definition of help and Jack’s were two very different things and as such it took a few minutes longer than strictly necessary before locking up and heading upstairs to the apartment. Jack may have given up on _selling_ junk, it didn’t mean he had given up on _owning_ it. As evident by both the studio and the apartment. He was kind of glad because maneuvering around the larger pieces with Ted on his hip reminded Jack of exactly how much Sadie loved him. And how well behaved their two children under the age of three were.

He deposited Ted on the couch and flipped on the news. National, not local. Local would be just unhelpful, this wasn’t Opal after all, and this wasn’t an isolated incident anyway. Sadie said something about bath time from the direction of the bathroom and something else about the news.

“Yeah, don’t worry I’m already on it,” Jack replied as he passed on the way to their bedroom. She poked her head out and raised an eyebrow. He tried not to look too guilty as he ducked away.

There were a couple new messages on his phone, most from the O’Dares, Mikaal, and Jay. No Court though, at least not yet. He tried not to let that worry him as he lifted the device to his ear to listen to Shade’s voicemail. Doing so settled some weird guilt that had started to churn his stomach. Opal was going to be safe, that was for sure, and Jack could rest easier in his choices and father and brother’s memories knowing that.

Still, he’d come into the bedroom for a reason and it wasn’t to stealthily text superheroes. Jack crossed the small room to the smaller closet and tugged the door open. He pushed boxes and shoes aside, pulling some out to get to the small box at the very back. Opening it felt like a betrayal to Sadie but with her preoccupied and the pros at work Jack slipped the Gravity Rod out of the box and into his belt at the small of his back. It had been his dad’s, a later model that functioned more like his staff had than the earlier ones did. He’d donated all the others to the museum and of course Courtney had the Cosmic Staff, but this Jack had kept. For emergencies. Like today.

Returning the closet to its previous state of chaos, Jack tugged his vintage bowling shirt down and slipped back to the living room. Ted hadn’t moved, frowning in confusion at the reporter on the screen. The blazer clad woman spoke smoothly and calmly from her position on the streets of any of America’s cities. Well, almost any. The ones with generic architecture at least.

She seemed largely unfazed and entirely unworried by the facts she was reporting. Something about her seemed familiar and Jack tried to place her before the headline flicked again to announce her as Linda Park-West reporting live from Keystone City. Jack couldn’t help but smirk at the television with that revelation, suddenly her calm and vague familiarity both made sense. She probably knew better than anyone – except maybe a handful of other civilians – exactly what was going on and how serious the threat was. Jack included.

Linda Park-West reporting live from Keystone City signed off and the image flipped to an anchor in New York City. Jack was just relieved G. Gordon Godfrey and his venom hadn’t been called in. Small miracles. His ears perked up as the anchor mentioned that fights had broken out across the globe as the fleet was deemed hostile and uncooperative and begun to descend. Most were contained to the sky at this point though some conflicts had reached the ground, the anchor said in a serious tone that had Jack thinking of _War of the Worlds_ with an ironic smile. He continued to add that one such conflict was happening right now in Battery Park and they were going live to the news team there.

It cut to the live feed and Jack froze. He would recognize that star-spangled crop top and bike shorts anywhere. Courtney easily flipped backwards out of the path of the ship’s laser cannon, the staff and belt keeping her airborne far longer than should have been possible for a blonde sixteen-year-old. Somehow, the ship was downed but the weapons systems still operational. Though maybe not for long. A huge robot landed, filling up most of the screen and Jack let himself relax. Pat would never let anything happen to his stepdaughter, correction, his daughter.

Knowing this, Jack eased back into the couch and pulled Ted onto his lap. The Gravity Rod dug into his back, but it was reassuring rather than uncomfortable. He’d be lying just a little if he said he didn’t settle in to watch Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E. put on a show. They were pros at this point and Court’s quips never disappointed. They got annoying, but they didn’t disappoint. And if he and Ted cheered a little when she twirled the staff and fired off a perfectly aimed blast of cosmic energy, well she didn’t have to know.

Courtney somersaulted away just in time. The place she’d just been standing was now a small, smoking crater. “Oh, c’mon,” she grumbled to herself.

They’d been at the Brownstone waiting for their assignment when an alert came in that this particular ship was descending on Manhattan. Karen, Michael, and Sand were all sharing significant looks and glancing around the remaining members of the JSA when Courtney had spoken up.

“Pat and I can handle it!” She raised her hand in some halfway automatic response drilled into her by six hours a day spent at Blue Valley High. “Right, Pat? We’re a lean, mean, fighting team,” she flashed a grin, then remembered that just showed off her braces and clamped her lips shut. Courtney may be a senior member of the JSA but she still got sat at the kids’ table. Didn’t need to deal with that today too.

Her stepdad had been startled but agreed with her and so with another significant look and a nod from Karen they were dispatched to “handle it.”

Never, ever, in a zillion years would Courtney admit it, but she may have been overconfident in her estimation.

When Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E. confronted the aliens in the airspace high above the gleaming towers and spires, Court thought a blast from the Cosmic Staff would be all it took to knock out the spacecraft’s weapons systems. No weapons, easy fight. Right?

Except, she’d miscalculated and instead of taking out the weapons system it looked like she’d taken out the flight system. Not exactly a negative as the aliens went spiraling towards the Battery. But, uh, still not good.

Courtney had followed without a thought. Fearing her mistake meant innocent bystanders would get seriously injured. Or worse.

Luckily, the park looked deserted. Unluckily, even the crash hadn’t taken out the weapons system. Which is how Court ended up playing cat and mouse with a laser cannon. Pat would get here soon, she hoped, but since she didn’t carry a bulky robot suit around with her when she flew, Courtney had managed to get here first. Though the news crew did medal in at second.

“You shouldn’t be here!” Stargirl tried to yell at them, turning her back for a second as she tried to wave them off. “It’s dangerous here!”

Almost to illustrate that point, Court turned back only to launch herself up into the air. Propelling herself backwards, and up and over the staff clutched tightly in her gloved hand, she flipped out of range of the blast just in time.

“Crud, that was close,” she mumbled. Levering her staff, Courtney planted her feet like Jack had taught her. His training on the staff was more a crash course involving the phrase “hold on tight and don’t let go” than anything, but it was solid advice. By now, she knew to brace and counter the recoil as she fired a jolt of pure cosmic energy at the ship.

A small crash sounded behind her and Courtney relaxed a little. “Stargirl,” S.T.R.I.P.E.’s flat computer voice called.

“I’m ok!” she answered the implied question. The giant robot behind her couldn’t sigh but Pat definitely did from inside it. “The news crew. And I can’t figure out how to take out the cannon,” she said, knowing Pat would follow the weird half sentences.

“I’ll take the cannon; you get the news crew to safety.”

Courtney scoffed, jumping onto the staff and circling to stand next to S.T.R.I.P.E.’s big metal head. “Uh, no. I’m _way_ more mobile than you. One hit from that thing and you’re out.”

“Stargirl,” maybe the robot could sigh.

On instinct, she threw her hand out to the side, firing off shooting stars that sparked and fizzled as they hit the hull of the ship. At the same time, she willed the staff to throw up a shield and it protected her and Pat from the blast aimed directly at them.

“Maybe you have a point,” he conceded. Courtney smiled at him brightly. “But be careful.”

“Always!” she promised. With a small hop, she fell to sit on the staff and gripped it near the top by the control panel tightly. The staff hummed and around her hips the Cosmic Converter Belt answered. The two making a buzzing harmony that she felt in her bones. Courtney was Stargirl and Stargirl was more than capable of handling a crashed UFO.

She flew at the hunk of metal, throwing more shooting stars before grabbing hold of the staff and twisting herself off it. Dropping gracefully onto what she guessed was the roof. The ship wasn’t unmanned, the reports that floated over her comm from Oracle and others had told her that much, but no one had bothered to leave it. Standing on top, she could just make out vague outlines of figures through the, uh, windshield? Did UFOs have windshields? This looked like a windshield.

At this close range there’s no way they could fire at her. They could still hit Pat though. And the reporters who were stubbornly doing their jobs. Which Courtney begrudgingly respected them for.

She twirled her staff as she crept closer to the cannon, ready to defend herself with a shield or an energy blast if needed. The aliens in the ship seemed to be preoccupied with her steady progress across their roof which was good because Pat made a huge target and trying to shield the news van made him a sitting duck. The camera trained on her sent a prickle up Courtney’s spine but she ignored it, her job right now was to make sure that the woman holding the camera remained safe. Which meant taking out the cannon.

Courtney took a deep breath and shook out her shoulders. She could do this. She was Stargirl! A senior member of the Justice Society of America! Taking out the weapons system on a spaceship was small potatoes compared to everything else she’d done.

“Well then,” Court smirked, this close she could see where the weapon met the ship proper and it wasn’t very secure. Mike might have been the one following in Pat’s footsteps as a mechanic, but Courtney had watched the two work on S.T.R.I.P.E. enough to know that joint was the epitome of a mechanical Achilles heel.

Lifting the staff again, Courtney slid her feet apart until her boots found traction on the smooth metal. Then she let loose. Firing a steady stream of cosmic energy directly at the joint.

The cannon toppled and the joint sparked. The ship blinked beneath her before going dark. A cheer rose up from the direction of the news crew. Stargirl turned and beamed at them, waving as brightly as she could. Pat was headed over, probably to double check that the ship was truly disabled.

“Now what?” she asked, planting the staff on the roof and leaning against it. “There’s like, people in there.” She tilted her head towards the windshield.

“We call the League and see what they say.” S.T.R.I.P.E. couldn’t shrug, it was a major design flaw in her opinion. “In the meantime,” the mechanical voice fizzled slightly, meaning Pat was smiling, “I think they’d like an interview, Stargirl.”

Courtney grinned back. Well, if there was nothing else to do, they had the spare time. And Pat seemed to think it was ok.

~

_I’ve got fire in my soul_

Scott Free paced a nervous course through his living room while a serious looking reporter spoke grimly from the television.

“I like that carpet,” Barda informed him, frowning at the track he was starting to wear. “I’m not replacing that carpet. I just got the bloodstains out.”

Wrinkling his nose at his wife, Scott stopped his anxious trek. “They’re saying an alien fleet is threatening the planet.” He loved his wife, but seriously feared she wasn’t grasping the severity of the situation.

“And we both know that Apokalypse would’ve already attacked,” she reminded him bluntly, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorway to the kitchen. It meant she no longer had to duck in addition to showing how she felt about his mild overreaction. Barda _was_ right after all.

“Yes,” Scott sighed, flopping down hard on the couch. “And that the New Gods have been keeping tabs on Darkseid but we also haven’t heard from Rann in a while so maybe something’s happened and he’s finally changed strategy?” It was an absurd suggestion so ridiculous it bordered on irrelevant and the theory that he’d thought up to explain it was a tangled knot that even he, Mister Miracle, couldn’t unravel; but sometimes fear was far more overpowering than logic.

“Or,” Barda drawled, leaving the doorway to come sit beside him, tucking Scott under her arm, “Adam Strange just loves his wife as much I love you and gets distracted about timely mission reports.”

Scott laughed a bit, the tightness in his chest loosening some, and turned his head to peck his wife on the cheek. “Oracle’s been complaining?”

“At least he’s not Booster Gold. Now there is a man who doesn’t understand why being at the top of Oracle’s shit list is the opposite of an honor.”

Again, Scott laughed and again it became a little easier to breathe.

“Unfortunately, that’s where I’m gonna be if I don’t get my ass moving,” Barda looked at him sadly as she moved to stand.

“I could come with you,” he offered quickly, already knowing that wasn’t going to happen. His wife was a Bird of Prey, Scott definitely was not.

Barda gave him a dry look before laughing. Loudly. The sound unwound the rest of the knot in his chest.

“Ok, it was a stupid suggestion,” Scott shot her a shy smile.

“You think?” Barda was still chuckling.

“I’ll call the League, see where they need me.”

She smiled approvingly, coming back over to give him a kiss. One he eagerly reciprocated. When Barda finally pulled back, Scott kept his arms loosely wrapped around her neck. She just grinned at him again and said, “There’s my man.”

~

_I am flesh and I am bone_

Imra drew her brows together, feeling her forehead wrinkle, as the images froze and dimmed. “Is that all?” she asked Computo.

“Yes,” Brainy responded, startling her. She didn’t think anyone else had noticed her slip off with the new footage. But she should’ve known better, Brainy knew everything. “It is a rather minor battle in the grand scheme of things, we’re extremely lucky that Triplicate Girl, Dawnstar, and Shadow Lass found this account.”

“But they only found the one account,” Imra returned to her worrying, pulling her lips far to one side as she began to pace. Since leaving Titan she’d gotten more and more expressive. Enjoying the freedom and choice. Her habits had begun to reflect that.

“Are you ok?” Cosmic Boy asked, walking in with Lightning Lad close behind. Brainy wasn’t the only one to notice her absence and of course it was her two fellow founding members.

“Don’t tell me you watched it?” Garth winced. Rokk mirrored his expression as they glanced at each other.

Even Brainy was taken aback at this. “Saturn Girl, was that wise? I assumed you were merely uploading it for archival purposes, not that you had watched it.” Which she would’ve known if she hadn’t been so qrotting distracted.

Imra tried to chuckle, holding her arms out a little as she shrugged. “Well you know what they say when you assume...”

“I don’t actually.” Brainy blinked.

Garth was trying desperately to remember what it is they say when you assume while Rokk was just confused.

“Neither do I,” she admitted with a sheepish sigh. It earned her some maliceless groans.

“You know how dangerous the past is,” Brainy said evenly. Even when he sounded so clinical she could also hear the cautioning tone. “How playing with time can be.”

Imra just blinked at him. That was another nice thing about no longer being on Titan, when she wanted to hide something like her annoyance she could. “Yes.”

The boys frowned at each other before taking a step closer to her. She stepped back.

“It is only that learning forgotten things can change our perceptions. Change our view. Change our whole universe. And right now the state of things is so very fragile.” Brainy looked worried. No, he seemed scared. Imra would be unsettled if she weren’t so angry.

“Isn’t that the whole point of the Legion? That we change the state of things?”

“She’s right,” Rokk nodded firmly. “Putting people up on pedestals all the time is a great way for them to come crashing down.”

“Besides,” Garth put in cautiously, gaining confidence as he glanced between them all and his gaze finally settling on Brainy, “I thought you were worried about the current state of things.”

“No,” Brainy said without heat, “I’m certain that the state of things is not sustainable.”

“Then we should watch it,” Imra insisted. “Why bother recording history if we’re not going to learn from it? Computo? Restart the footage of the defense of Earth by its heroes in the twenty-first century that was just uploaded.”

~

_I’ve got fire in my soul_

“Gotham’s in shambles,” Barbara sighed as she rubbed at the bridge of her nose, causing her glasses to skew. Finally, she decided to just take them off, half throwing them onto the keyboard as she pressed and pulled at her closed lids. It didn’t really do anything for her growing headache but it certainly helped her tired eyes.

Pings, beeps, and snatches of conversations washed over her in waves. The chaos wasn’t overwhelming. Not in the least. It was manageable, everything was manageable. Babs made it that way, forced it into some semblance of order. It’s what she was good at. Excellent at, really. It didn’t mean it wasn’t taxing or exhausting or nerve wracking. Right now, it was all of those things and more.

“Is that where you want us, boss?” Zinda hovered somewhere behind her, waiting far more patiently than she was used to for a general flight plan.

The problem was, Barbara didn’t know.

She sighed, putting her glasses back on and squinting into the sudden glow of her screens. The attack on Gotham was the only direct attack so far. Earth’s heroes managing to ground many of the ships or dispatch them before entering the atmosphere or even keeping the ships far from entering in the first place like the baffling defense in London.

For the most part, things were being managed. It was a lot but she was keeping on top of it and Gotham alone had been hit. But it was Gotham. Her home. And compartmentalizing wasn’t quite as easy when it came to Gotham. Nothing was easy when it came to Gotham.

“Babs?” Dinah asked gently, appearing at her elbow. “You ok?”

“I’m fine,” she said shortly, not glancing from her screens. At the sound of Helena stepping up to her other side she turned. The other woman gave her a significant look and Babs looked over to see Dinah worrying at her lower lip. Muting all the feeds, Barbara let herself slump over her keyboards. “I’m not fine.”

A hand fell on her shoulder, squeezing lightly. “Ok,” Dinah said calmly, “how can we help?”

That was almost harder. Babs hated needing help. _Admitting_ she needed help. But Dinah had been careful about her words. ‘How can we help’ not ‘how can we help _you_.’ Barbara could work with that.

In the silence that had fallen over the Clocktower she let herself think. They had a plane and one of the best pilots in the world, an expert marksman and hand-to-hand combatant, and the Black damn Canary. Not to mention, she was Oracle. The four of them could do some serious damage, over the years _had_ done some serious damage, but that’s not what was needed right now. What was needed was support in Gotham. Keeping the sky clear so the city’s heroes and first responders could focus on the damage. On the people. The three women around her certainly could handle that. Especially since Misfit, Manhunter, and Barda were all gearing up elsewhere in the Clocktower.

What made it truly appealing was it meant Oracle didn’t have to worry about Gotham while simultaneously keeping an eye on it. She could run comms and let the Birds do the rest. It was perfect.

Oracle sat up, straightening her spine and her glasses. “You run interference. We don’t need any more boots on the ground in the City right now but we need to let them do their jobs, which means keeping the force off their backs.”

“Am I breaking out the fighter jet, boss?” Zinda sounded thrilled. When Babs turned, she couldn’t help but match the other woman’s grin.

“Charlie can just teleport herself around and Barda’s Barda. What about the rest of us? ‘Cause we’re not all gonna fit in that cockpit,” Helena smirked.

“Well,” Barbara drawled, typing a command in quickly. It unlocked a storage closet that only a select few even knew existed. Filled with all sorts of high-tech gear for the flightless vigilante. “I was going to wait until Christmas, but you’ve all been such good little girls this year,” she teased.

“Are these jetpacks?” Dinah laughed, pulling one off the shelf. “When did you have time to make jetpacks?”

“Tim mentioned Luke was working on some designs for his suit, I asked if I could look and ended up solving a problem he was having with the battery. He whipped these up for me as a thank you,” she shrugged.

“Thank _you_ , Batwing.” Helena was already slipping hers on. “I’m going to take this to Kate,” she said and grabbed another, heading out the door.

“Well, I have a jet to warm up. I’ll be ready on your command, boss.” Zinda saluted and followed Helena.

It left just Dinah with Barbara in the room as she unmuted the various channels and began to turn her attention back to the wider world.

“Don’t worry, we’ll keep them safe.”

Babs turned to look at Dinah, lingering with her jetpack in hand. She raised a single brow at the blonde.

Dinah laughed, “And I know you’ll keep us safe so I don’t have to make any promises about being careful.”

With an eyeroll, she went back to work. Using it as an excuse to hide her fond smile. “Don’t you have something to do?”

“How high?” Dinah teased, already walking away.

~

_‘Cause everybody’s in the backroom’s spinning up_

Piper’s phone flashed from by his elbow. He didn’t really want to answer it seeing as he was currently gearing up to defend the city from a potential alien invasion, but the name made him hesitate. Swiping at it, he immediately turned on the speaker phone and went back to tweaking the frequency dial on one of his sonic pistols. Potential alien invasion, it didn’t hurt to be prepared.

“What,” he sighed in the direction of the phone.

_“Piper! Piper, I need your help.”_ James’s voice was slightly more manic than normal. Never a good sign.

“I’m a bit busy at the moment. If you haven’t seen the news, you might want to. Pressing matters involving spaceships and the Flashes being dispatched elsewhere.” Of course, Piper understood _why_ Wally and his family had been asked to stay mobile rather than stay in the Twins but it left Keystone and Central in his hands. Which was a lot.

_“This has everything to do with that!”_ James pressed.

Hartley raised a dry brow to Impulse where the rat sat on the table; somehow, he doubted that.

_“I can feel you judging me,”_ he singsonged.

“Yes well, we both know your track record.”

_“The kid wasn’t supposed to die.”_ There was no hint of Trickster in his voice now. Hartley set his tools down and put his head in his hands, pushing his glasses up to rub at his eyes. _“Anyway,”_ James sounded a little annoyed, _“he’s fine. Off and running with the Teen Terrors or whatever their name is.”_

“Titans,” he corrected with a smirk. “They’re the Teen Titans.”

_“Whatever. Point stands, Kid Smartass and the rest of them aren’t here and I need your help. Meet me at the old arcade on Fullmont.”_

Piper sat back, sharing another look with his rat before glancing skeptically at the phone. “That doesn’t sound the least bit suspicious,” he said sarcastically.

_“Please?”_ Aw crap. James never said please. _“And uh, in costume. It’s gonna be that type of day.”_

“We better not be committing any felonies. I am _not_ dealing with that again.”

_“No felonies! Pinky swear!”_ There was the sound of the call disconnecting and Hartley let out another long sigh. Abandoning the sonic gun, it was good enough anyway, he stood to go get dressed. And take some Tylenol, he was already getting a headache.

He’d been the Pied Piper for, well, frankly longer than he really wanted to admit sometimes and his knees were starting to talk him into retirement. Regardless, he still felt a little silly standing on the sidewalk in his costume in broad daylight. Piper kinda understood why so many people on both sides of the caped community preferred to work at night. And the perks of being able to move faster than sight.

Well, at least the green hooded cloak was a whole lot less… less than _everything_ about Trickster. The striped pants being just the tip of the iceberg.

The blue and yellow eyesore coming towards Piper waved both arms excitedly. A little erratically. “You’re here!” he called loudly.

“You said please,” Piper admitted with a shrug. Not that he wanted James to start using that to con him into hairbrained schemes – of which this might still turn out to be – but politeness was to be encouraged and rewarded.

“I wasn’t kidding about it being important,” Tricks said as he shouldered open the broken glass door.

Cautiously, Piper followed. “You never said it was important.”

“It was implied,” he brushed off.

The last time Hartley was in this arcade it had been nothing but flashing lights and loud music and people laughing. Now, it was dark and the glass that crunched under his boots was the only sound. He didn’t hesitate to follow James through the maze of machines; half because arcades were like James’s native habitat and half some old instinct.

“Why are we here?” Hartley tried, fully not expecting an answer.

“You’ll see,” the cryptic smile James tossed over his shoulder as he grabbed the knob on the door that somehow still had the “Employees Only” sign on it made Hartley’s stomach drop.

In the back room it was even darker but the bright colors worn by its occupants were still clear. They hadn’t seen him yet, but the group made Piper pause nonetheless. Sitting in a loose collection, as far away from one another as it was possible in the small space, was the feared Rogues of Keystone and Central City. Despite their somewhat silly clothes and downright ridiculous monikers – or depending on the Rogue the reverse – they were some of the most impressive and respected criminals in the Twins. It was an elite club. One that the Pied Piper himself had been a part of.

One he left. Left to become a turncoat do-gooder. Well, he’d always been a do-gooder and the others had either not known or not minded – or at least not said anything within his considerably sensitive earshot. But it was another thing entirely to have become one of the heroes. That was an unforgiveable sin.

The Rogues had rules. You either followed them or you were out. To deal with all the Flashes could throw at you all by yourself. Rule one: No killing. Rule two: No drugs. Rule three: No heroes.

There were others, many, but Piper had only ever broken the one. And it was number three which carried the same weight as numbers one and two. And it was what kept him lurking in the doorway as James bounded forward.

James, who was just as guilty if not more having gone to the government, tattling on them all and then making his own team. Yet he grinned and waved and stretched his arms as though this was a long-awaited homecoming. Granted, it was definitely not reciprocated by the grumbles. And James’s own smile wavered when he caught sight of Axel. Still, Piper was wavering on the threshold.

Finally, Cold looked up and snapped, “Guessing you didn’t find any courage with your morals.”

There were some chuckles, only borderline cruel, as Piper finally stepped through the door. He gave a warbling smile. Unsure. Trying to slip on an old mask that barely fit when he wore it years ago and certainly didn’t now. It managed to hide his wince at least. Thankfully.

“Leonard, always a pleasure.” Piper managed to say smoothly.

There were some more snorts, whether of derision or amusement at Hartley’s unruffled façade he wasn’t sure.

“Now, carry on. We haven’t got all day. Go on, tell Piper how you’re all being a selfish bunch of cowards.” James had that manic grin back as he spoke in a lilting voice, still skipping around the edges of the room.

“We’re not cowards,” McCulloch sneered. “Selfish,” he smirked, “but not cowards.”

Hartley narrowed his eyes, unsure where exactly this was going but knowing it would reveal itself soon enough. The Rogues weren’t exactly known for being subtle.

“We’re not heroes,” Cold drawled. “No honor among thieves and all that. If we want to head for the hills, what’s stopping us?”

“Def not you, old man,” Axel cackled. The “old” bit did earn him a few glares.

At least Piper finally understood why he was here. Because of course James couldn’t have just told him. That would’ve been much too simple.

“The world may end in a matter of hours, or worse, and you’re just going to leave?” he didn’t hide the sardonic note in his voice.

“We’re not heroes-” Cold started.

“You’re thieves. Right, we’re all well aware.” Piper was trying for droll but the eyeroll made it nothing short of sarcastic.

The ringing silence was familiar and almost comforting. Looking around at the stony glares from the men sitting in a circle, wearing odd pieces of their costumes with weapons and empty beer cans at their feet, Piper suddenly went from uneasy to settled. It was an odd shift but not one he could examine. At least not right now. There was literally an alien invasion about to begin any moment.

Hartley sighed and crossed his arms, falling into his old role but keeping his current air. He was a hero after all and had gained significant confidence as such. Besides, voice of reason never changes after all. And Wally certainly needed it some days. Many days. Most days. Whenever Linda was busy.

“You do realize the Flashes aren’t here?” He tactfully ignored their scoffs and mutterings. “Which means there’s not much to keep the cities standing. And if there’s no cities then who are you going to rob? Can’t be the Central and Keystone Rogues if there’s no Central or Keystone City.”

The effect was immediate. There was a suspicious silence as they all puzzled out Piper’s logic and then simmered at the lack of flaws. Even Mick eventually came to the correct conclusion.

An odd, soft squeaking noise came from the corner. Piper glanced over to see James bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. The bottom of his shoes on the dirty tile causing the sound. Delighted didn’t even begin to cover Trickster’s expression. The man was downright smug. Hartley was a little shocked not to see feathers the same canary yellow as his suit sticking out of his mouth.

“Fine,” Cold growled. “We’ll keep the aliens out while Flashers’ busy. But _I’m_ in charge. Got it?”

“Of the Rogues,” Piper smiled. “But I’m a hero, remember? So, I outrank you right about now. If you’ll excuse me, I have to let Oracle know I received reinforcements. I’ll be in touch shortly.” With that he spun on his heel and strode towards the front of the arcade. Not even bothering to hide his glee.

The soft crash was disconcerting but not unusual. Selina simply raised a single, immaculate eyebrow before heading towards the sound.

“Whoopsies! Sorry Pam-a-lamb!” Harley called, obviously the source of the commotion. “I promise I’ll replace the glass!”

Selina smiled to hear Ivy’s sufferingly fond response of “A quarter of the city is leveled by aliens but my greenhouse can’t survive you.”

“Well at least it was only a small bomb,” Harley tried to smooth over.

As Selina rounded the last corner of the path through the greenery, she got her first sight of her two friends. Harley had a wide, wobbling smile and her eyes widened to almost cartoonishly comic proportions as she folded her hands under her chin to attempt and regain Ivy’s favor. For her part, Ivy didn’t actually seem upset. Sardonically droll, but not upset. The shattered glass pane and remains of Harley’s “small bomb” lay between them.

“Don’t you two make a pretty picture,” Selina purred, stepping closer and carefully with all the sparkling shards of glass mixed in with the gravel.

“Kitty!” Harley squealed, crunching through the wreckage in her thick soled boots. She flung herself on Selina who managed to wrap her arms around the smaller blonde just in time. “Oh, Selina! It’s been ages! Where’ve ya been? What’s new pussycat?”

Selina chuckled, petting at her friend’s choppy pigtails. “Here and there.”

“I’m glad to see that you’re here,” Ivy drawled, arching her own brow. She quickly dropped the icy façade to give a wry but earnest twist of her lips. “I thought you might be out there, running around with the rest of the animals.”

Thankfully, Harley had detached herself and went bouncing back to Ivy’s side before Selina had to respond. She was glad for the ability to use the time to pull her cool aloofness back into place. “That’s just why I came.”

Harley tilted her head in a puppy-like manner as Ivy pursed her perfectly red painted lips. It was oddly quiet and removed in the greenhouse, the distant sound of sirens just barely echoing in through the hole Harley had created.

“The damage is great and Batman’s little army is struggling in the immediate aftermath. I thought you two might come with me, show them up a little.”

Were Selina a less confident, less assured, less formidable woman she might have held her breath in the face of her friends’ silence. That space of waiting for their reply. As it was, she simply quirked her head and prowled towards a tropical looking flower, the colors of which had caught her eye.

“Well,” Harley said brightly, “we can’t have the kiddos struggling. That would set them back _months_. Please Pammy-kins?”

Ivy looked between the two women. Selina, with her air of remoteness. Harley, with her pleading pout. Finally, she sighed. “Fine. But only because I was just starting to enjoy our brunches with Batgirl. She’s the definition of an acquired taste.”

“Delightful,” Selina gave a slow, pleased smile. Strutting towards the door and knowing, in a few seconds, the other Sirens would follow.

~

_And everybody’s in the front room’s tripping up_

“Where’s the fire?” Dick hopped out of the Batplane that he borrowed and headed towards where Roy, Garth, Donna, and Wally were all standing.

“Already put out,” Roy smirked. “Where’ve you been?”

“Gotham.” Everyone winced at that and he just shrugged. It was what it was, and frankly he was used to it. Having Donna tug him into a hug helped though. “So, why am I here?” Dick tried to tease in the face of the start of well-worn uncomfortableness. I.e., anything having to do with his relationship with Bruce or the city he had come to call home being declared a disaster area by the U.S. government yet again.

“Cleanup,” Wally appeared on his other side with a rush of air and soft spark of electricity. Dick shrugged off Donna’s arm so he could lift his own and punch Wally in the shoulder. Except, Wally was no longer there. Fricking speedsters.

“No, really,” Dick rolled his eyes. He’d known these people for edging on half his life now, he knew when they were pulling his leg. And the smirks and quite snorts were dead giveaways.

Garth shrugged, spreading his arms wide and managing to smooth his expression into something almost serious. “We needed our fearless leader to dictate who gets the mop and who the broom.”

Dick reminded himself he loved these jerks as they all fought to hide their laughter. Failed to hide their laughter.

“You needed a break and everyone knew it,” a different but still warmly familiar voice said, coming up behind him. Kori smiled kindly, her hair curling in unseen winds as she shifted the flames over one shoulder.

He tried to keep his expression neutral, they could all read him way too well even with the mask or probably because of the mask, as he studied his friends. They stared back unflinchingly. Roy had even dropped his usual arrogance, Donna tilted her head in concern, Wally actually stilled, and Garth met his eyes unwaveringly.

“It is the truth, we are correct,” Kori told him firmly, offering a kind smile.

Finally relenting, Dick sighed and sagged under the weight of their attention. “Yeah. I was starting to feel useless and it was kinda getting to me.”

“Well, we can change that! Can we borrow your plane?” Gar said, bounding up to the huddle from the tree line.

“You can fly,” Raven informed him dryly, stepping out of the shadows and startling everyone. Dick made a mental note of that to question later, normally they were all pretty immune to that sort of thing. She eyed Wally sideways, “I thought you were in South Africa?”

Wally raised his eyebrows, always an impressive feat to be able to tell since they were covered by his cowl, “And I thought you were in Spain?”

Dick had to physically bite his lip to keep from accusing them all of ambushing him. And from laughing at the look on Wally’s face.

Vic waved to him as he came over to join the expanding circle and Dick gladly waved back, surprised but pleased to see Bette and Joey walking behind him. Though that twisted when he noticed Bette cradling her arm.

“You ok, Flamebird?” he asked as they neared. She nodded but Joey was signing “no” out of her line of sight.

“She’s the reason we need the plane,” Vic explained, nodding towards the sleek black vehicle only yards away from them in the clearing.

Bette rolled her eyes behind the goggles, “Before Jericho can tattle, I broke my arm.”

“And need to go to the hospital,” Gar insisted. Well, that was getting filed away for later too, Dick decided.

Looking around at his friends, something began to nag at the back of Dick’s mind. “If Wally was in South Africa,” the redhead nodded then thought about it and opened his mouth to correct or contradict but Dick plowed on, “and Raven was in Spain,” she inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment, “and Starfire, Troia, and Beast Boy are the only ones who can fly— how’d you get here?” Here being the outskirts of Yellowstone.

Roy had the good sense to look sheepish as he coughed and scratched at the back of his head. All attention instantly fell on him. “We may have started out the day with a T-Jet.”

Dick nodded, waiting for him to elaborate. Roy grimaced, clearly waiting for someone _else_ to elaborate.

When that didn’t happen, he sighed and powered on. “We no longer have a T-Jet.”

There was a chorus of grumblings and Donna clearly muttering “That’s one way to put it.” Dick fought _really_ hard to keep up his professionalism. His friends were absurd. He also had a feeling they wouldn’t have “lost” the plane if he’d been around. Also, that this was part of Bruce’s reasoning for sending him here. Fricking Batman.

Sometimes, he had to remind himself that he _liked_ his teammates. Genuinely enjoyed their company. Heck, he was godfather to a couple of their kids. These were his _friends_ and they still managed to send his blood pressure through the roof. He was _so_ lucky he wasn’t in charge of the Justice League anymore and that his tenure had been short and relatively successful. Dick could only imagine what leading people you didn’t consider family would be like. It was probably a whole hell of a lot easier actually.

“Cyborg, take the Batplane and fly Flamebird to the nearest hospital please,” he said calmly.

“I’m going too,” Gar said quickly, but then glanced to Dick for permission. He nodded and the trio headed for the plane.

“Thanks for your help,” Dick added to Bette’s retreating form before turning back to the group of people still in front of him. “You too, Jericho. I hadn’t realized you’d been asked to chip in.”

_Not a problem_ , Joey signed with a wide smile. _Besides, I’m trying to show my sister up._

Dick returned his grin, understanding completely, and felt himself relax as the others chuckled. “Now, I have some ideas on how we can all get home, but first let’s see what’s left of the jet.”

“Well, we found it,” Dove called, grinning at Dick while her sister stomped behind her out of the trees, “but you’re not going to like the shape it’s in.”

It might’ve actually been easier if Dick had stayed in Gotham. Was it too late to call Argent? He was betting her constructs would be rather useful in the next few minutes.

~

_‘Cause everybody’s in the backroom’s spinning up_

“Flagg,” she barked into the intercom. Amanda Waller frowned at the files spread out across her desk. Frankly, they disappointed her. There was an alien invasion and there was no way that the United States Government was going to just sit back and let the _heroes_ do whatever they pleased. This was why they had Task Force X. Among other reasons. But those currently available to her were less than ideal.

The office door opened and Colonel Flagg stepped in, standing at attention as he said, “Director Waller.”

Letting him stand there, she looked over the files once more with a disdainful eye. Finally, she stacked them and held the small pile out to him. “Collect your team, Colonel, and prepare for further orders.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Flagg dipped his head once as he was dismissed.

Flipping through the channels Thomas finally sighed in defeat as he threw the remote down. “There’s nothing on,” he complained. It was all news coverage of the aliens sitting in the atmosphere.

Scandal rolled her head to give him a dry look. “So?”

“So what?”

This time she rolled her eyes. “Are we going to do something about this?”

“The Secret Six versus an alien invasion? I feel like that’s a little out of our jurisdiction,” he told her sarcastically.

Scandal pushed herself off the couch with stretch and a smirk. “It’s not like there’s anything better to do.”

Wrinkling his nose, Thomas followed her because unfortunately she was right.

~

_And everybody’s in the front room’s tripping up_

Cassie landed hard, rolling through her feet and bending her knees to absorb the impact. She straightened and then continued to stretch, pushing her arms up over her head and going up onto her tiptoes. She lowered her heels back onto the ground and began tilting her head back and forth, wincing as her neck popped.

“You ok?” Bart asked, appearing in front of her.

“Yeah,” she said vaguely, rolling her right shoulder. Cassie thought she might’ve put a little too much umph into yanking the cannon off that last ship. If such a thing were even possible.

Bart flickered and she knew that meant he’d gone and returned. “I did a sweep and everything looks good,” he informed her.

“Well look who’s finally decided to show up,” Rose grumbled. She powered down her energy blades before sliding the hilts back into the straps on her back. Which was a good sign at least.

Eddie didn’t say anything but she could see him biting his lip to keep from laughing when he followed a step behind Rose. Lorena rolled her eyes and shrugged apologetically from his side.

“He’s been a bit busy,” Kon defended, landing next to Cassie. Landing _hard_ next to Cassie. Much harder than she had. Hard enough that the ground actually shook. So, he was definitely tired. Or just annoyed.

Rose rolled her eyes. Well, her eye.

Cassie just leveled a glare back at her.

“Ravager, if you’ve got a problem with Kid Flash then you’ve got a problem with me too and I’d like to hear it.”

The sound of Tim’s voice had Cassie and Kon both whipping around. Bart and Rose must’ve been staring right at him and they still startled. She saw Eddie actually jump. Lorena left out a loud sigh and a grumble. The jerk actually smirked at that. Cassie was fairly certain that the saddest part of her existence was that she’d become used to Tim being smug.

“Red Robin!” M’gann called happily, coming to land at his side. Tim allowed the Martian to wrap her arms around him briefly and Cassie smiled to herself. Especially when Kiran landed on his other side and did the same thing.

“KF and Double R!” Jaime was the last of her team to arrive. They’d scoured the cold Siberian landscape to make sure that the only downed alien ships were the ones that they’d brought down. Cassie quirked an eyebrow at him, just because Bart had already done a lap – or maybe three – didn’t mean that her team couldn’t give their reports. “Uh, everything’s looking good, Wonder Girl,” Jaime said quickly.

“All the ships have been marked with the appropriate tracking devices courtesy of the League to be collected within the next few hours,” Kiran informed her pleasantly. Cassie nodded and smiled in grateful reply.

“You guys didn’t actually need me,” Tim sounded a little miserable and she frowned.

Kon crossed to him in a few steps, nudging him in the ribs with an elbow. “We always need you, birdbrain.”

Tim rolled his eyes as Bart appeared and latched on to him in a crackle of static. Cassie just grinned at her boys.

“How _did_ you get here?” Rose crossed her arms and cocked her hip, lifting her chin so that she could stare down her nose at them all.

The wicked smirk Tim shot at her would’ve made a lesser person crumble but Rose Wilson was the definition of strength and stubbornness. She just smiled back.

“Ohhh-kay,” Eddie sighed, putting an end to the staring contest between their two non-powered yet deadliest teammates. “So, uh, now what?”

All eyes turned to Cassie.

Cassie turned to her boys.

They just shrugged back at her. Lot of help those idiots were.

Cassie rolled her shoulder again. Despite the beginnings of hollow aches that were normal from after a battle her blood still sang with adrenaline. The high of being able to rip into those ships with her full strength and fly as fast as she could to chase them was one that took more than a few minutes to come down from.

She knew her teammates, her friends, felt the same way.

“No doubt there’s been some opportunists with all the chaos,” Cassie hummed, shifting her weight to one foot and placing a hand on her hip.

“Dumbasses thinking that they can get one over on us,” Kon agreed with a growing smile. Superboy wasn’t as thick as he looked and Cassie knew it. Though he undoubtedly still had his moments.

Bart had finally released Tim and he literally buzzed with excitement as he caught on. Tim’s smile got impossibly sharper. Rose nodded her approval and Eddie’s forked tail twitched in a tell. M’gann had begun hovering, her hands clasped tightly in front of her chest. Jaime drummed his palms on his thighs and grinned wide.

Lorena’s smile stretched slow and wide. “As if.”

“What are we waiting for?” Kiran laughed.

Cassie nodded, beaming at her friends. “Alright Titans, let’s go patrol.”

~

_hu-hu hu-ha, hu-hu hu-ha_

The sound of the wind wasn’t really a sound at all. He was moving so fast that it blended into a rush that became soundless. Electricity crackled and jumped across his skin, the suit, discharging into the air at speeds that still couldn’t match him. Wally West wasn’t just one of the fastest men alive, he was _the_ fastest man alive and it was times like this that he really _felt_ alive.

Even when there was the very real and very looming threat of a very real and literally looming alien invasion. Running, not full out but running free, across the sea kicked up a laugh in Wally’s throat the same way his boots kicked up a spray.

A loud whoop left loose and it took less than an instant for Wally to realize it was not his own. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw his daughter barely half a step behind. Only practice and a tolerance grown from years of knowing Dick Grayson kept him from faltering and taking a nosedive into the ocean. It didn’t keep him from shooting a glare at her.

“Irey?” he gasped, slowing just enough to fall in step with her but not enough to break the surface tension of the water. “I thought I told you to stay home? Did you even tell your mother you were leaving?”

He knew his daughter could more than keep up with the words tumbling faster than thought from his tongue. Especially when her eyes widened behind her goggles and her face fell into a look of blank horror. Wally wasn’t always thrilled that Irey had put on the Impulse costume but at times like this she certainly lived up to the name.

“Don’t worry, I did,” another voice came from Wally’s other side. His face split into a wide grin at the sound, turning to see his uncle in step next to him.

“Uncle Barry did!” Irey exclaimed happily and Wally was endlessly thrilled to know that his uncle was as endlessly enchanted by his twins as he was. Especially with Jai on his back, arms looped around Barry’s neck and a huge grin on his face. 

Wally still quirked an eyebrow at his uncle in question. Granted, his uncle would bring him with on alien invasions but Wally had also been older than Irey and Jai. Though Barry was the most responsible adult Wally knew, aforementioned alien invasion notwithstanding, and there was no way he’d endanger Jai and Irey.

Barry shrugged, “I told them we could go for a lap around the block. Figured they’d be just as antsy with their dad running off to do League and Titans stuff as you were when I’d go.”

“Thank you,” Wally said soft enough for only Barry to hear. His uncle shrugged again though his smile said he understood and accepted his nephew’s gratitude. Jai grumbled at the fact he’d now been jostled twice by such a gesture and Barry laughed.

Wally felt it this time when another speedster approached, no longer lost in his thoughts or taken by surprise. He looked over as Jay approached. “Heard we were taking a jog,” he called out with a wide grin.

“Just a quick one,” Wally teased.

The force of four speedsters running kicked up a wall of spray, sent ripples of lightning arcing out. The snap and crackle could be heard over the wind and the pounding of feet on the waves. It increased as another runner approached.

Her blonde ponytail whipped around as she slowed and it was hard to tell where her hair ended and her lightning began. Jesse Quick was running right at them. Then she was passing Wally and scooping Irey up in a hug. His daughter squealed in delight as the pair made a loop before coming back.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me we were hanging out?” Jesse shot Wally an accusing look.

“Hey, no one told me we were hanging out either.” Wally tried to hold his hands up in a placating gesture but Jesse didn’t seem to buy it. Even if it was the truth.

“I’m late! I am late!” Bart yelled as he nearly stumbled to slow and match pace.

“For a very important date!” the twins giggled in unison.

“That’s ok,” Barry reassured him, reaching out to ruffle the fluffy mass of auburn hair that stuck out the top of his Kid Flash uniform, “it’s a family tradition.”

Bart lit up at that, vibrating as he ran so that his edges blurred. “Family tradition to burn off some excess energy before a big fight too?”

“Gotta get the jitters out,” Barry and Wally said in unison. They grinned at each other while the rest of their family laughed.

Wally glanced at the people he loved that flanked him on either side and got an idea. “How about a race?”

~

_Arise, rise up like glitter and gold_

**Author's Note:**

> So I think we all know the mcu video edit that's set to this song and is stunning? Well I thought the lyrics fit a lot better overall for the various dc fams and was like "oh a video with comic panels set to this for dc would be so rad!" and mapped it all out in my head before realizing that is Not my skillset. I have no clue how to do that. More the power to those of you who do. But I couldn't let it go and so this was born. I started this fic in November, no joke, and I'm finally done and happy with it so I hope you liked it and if you made it this far? You're MY hero.


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